Full-time fire station part of strategic planning for Daytona North

JULIE MURPHYSTAFF WRITER

Published: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 10:25 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 11:52 p.m.

DAYTONA NORTH — Flagler County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin is chipping away at the wish list of Daytona North residents, and said during a town hall meeting Thursday that a full-time fire station is next on the list.

"The next thing is figuring out fire protection out here," he said to the few dozen residents at the Hidden Trails Community Center who were in attendance – a smaller group than in the past. "We are working toward a two-man station. We are hoping for something on County Road 305 between (county roads) 90 and 2006."

That is nearly the location of the St. Johns Fire Station, which has always been a volunteer firehouse. It has four bays that are filled with firefighting equipment.

Pam Andrews complained publicly about the issue to county officials during the Jan. 14 County Commission meeting. She said in an interview at the time that someone needs to staff the station all the time for safety reasons.

"It's too important," she said. "We need ... someone who can be there full time."

Fire Chief Don Petito said Flagler County Fire Rescue responded to 12,519 calls in 2012, and 451 of those calls were made "on the west side," accounting for 3.6 percent of the total calls.

McLaughlin said the choices for the county to address the situation are to either build a new station or to retrofit the St. Johns Station, which is Station 71.

"The costs would be between $750,000 and $1,750,000," he said.

One woman in attendance said her husband built the last two bays and "they aren't that old."

McLaughlin said retrofitting a station is neither simple nor inexpensive. Additionally, he said an ambulance would have to be added to the Plantation Bay station, to "free up" the two-man Espanola Station.

"We've got a heavier population (in Daytona North) than Espanola," he said. "This will save operational costs of $400,000 to $500,000 per year."

If a new station is built, the county will need a three- to five-acre parcel for it, McLaughlin said.

A resident who is also a retired firefighter recommended the county put up a temporary modular structure while a permanent station is being built. Another agreed that would be ideal, as a 20-minute response time to a fire, which sometimes happen in the far western areas of the county, is too long.

"I hope we can do it quickly," McLaughlin said. "It would be nice if we could do it as quickly as the well."

Flagler County School Board Chairman Andy Dance also addressed those who attended the town hall meeting.

He said the School Board is working with Sheriff Jim Manfre to put school resource officers on all of the campuses throughout the county.

"They are more than security," he said.

School resource officers gain the trust of students and their parents, which is beneficial for the safety of all, Dance said.

"We'll know about things that are going on outside of the school walls that are likely to link back onto the campus," he said.

The plan is to get officers in the schools for the remainder of this year, and to determine how to split costs between the School Board and the Sheriff's Office for next year.

<p>DAYTONA NORTH &mdash; Flagler County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin is chipping away at the wish list of Daytona North residents, and said during a town hall meeting Thursday that a full-time fire station is next on the list. </p><p>"The next thing is figuring out fire protection out here," he said to the few dozen residents at the Hidden Trails Community Center who were in attendance – a smaller group than in the past. "We are working toward a two-man station. We are hoping for something on County Road 305 between (county roads) 90 and 2006." </p><p>That is nearly the location of the St. Johns Fire Station, which has always been a volunteer firehouse. It has four bays that are filled with firefighting equipment. </p><p>Pam Andrews complained publicly about the issue to county officials during the Jan. 14 County Commission meeting. She said in an interview at the time that someone needs to staff the station all the time for safety reasons. </p><p>"It's too important," she said. "We need ... someone who can be there full time." </p><p>Fire Chief Don Petito said Flagler County Fire Rescue responded to 12,519 calls in 2012, and 451 of those calls were made "on the west side," accounting for 3.6 percent of the total calls. </p><p>McLaughlin said the choices for the county to address the situation are to either build a new station or to retrofit the St. Johns Station, which is Station 71. </p><p>"The costs would be between $750,000 and $1,750,000," he said. </p><p>One woman in attendance said her husband built the last two bays and "they aren't that old." </p><p>McLaughlin said retrofitting a station is neither simple nor inexpensive. Additionally, he said an ambulance would have to be added to the Plantation Bay station, to "free up" the two-man Espanola Station. </p><p>"We've got a heavier population (in Daytona North) than Espanola," he said. "This will save operational costs of $400,000 to $500,000 per year." </p><p>If a new station is built, the county will need a three- to five-acre parcel for it, McLaughlin said. </p><p>A resident who is also a retired firefighter recommended the county put up a temporary modular structure while a permanent station is being built. Another agreed that would be ideal, as a 20-minute response time to a fire, which sometimes happen in the far western areas of the county, is too long. </p><p>"I hope we can do it quickly," McLaughlin said. "It would be nice if we could do it as quickly as the well." </p><p>Flagler County School Board Chairman Andy Dance also addressed those who attended the town hall meeting. </p><p>He said the School Board is working with Sheriff Jim Manfre to put school resource officers on all of the campuses throughout the county. </p><p>"They are more than security," he said. </p><p>School resource officers gain the trust of students and their parents, which is beneficial for the safety of all, Dance said. </p><p>"We'll know about things that are going on outside of the school walls that are likely to link back onto the campus," he said. </p><p>The plan is to get officers in the schools for the remainder of this year, and to determine how to split costs between the School Board and the Sheriff's Office for next year.</p>